NHTSA Complaint #10680855 — 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA

WEAK FRONT SPRINGS IN SUSPENSION! KNOWN DEFECT...NISSAN SHOULD ADDRESS THIS! THE NISSAN MAXIMA HAS PLENTY OF WEIGHT UP FRONT (TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE). MY 2009 MAXIMA S HAD THE LARGE FRONT COIL SPRING OF THE SUSPENSION SNAP IN HALF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE TURNING A CORNER. I WAS TURNING AND BRAKING LIGHTLY WHEN IT SNAPPED IN TWO. SCARY!! THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD THE MAXIMA SERVICED ADMITTED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM..."WE REPLACE A FRONT SPRING ON A '09-10' MAXIMA AT LEAST EVERY MONTH, OFTEN FOR A SURPRISED CUSTOMER." ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE JUST THE FRONT SPRINGS (THEY RECOMMEND YOU DO AS A PAIR OR YOU WILL BE BACK FIXING THE OTHER SPRING REAL SOON) WAS $1,000.00, AND THIS PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE STRUTS BEING REPLACED, --ONLY THE SPRING, STRUT BEARING, AND FRONT SPRING SEAT THAT CONTACT THE SPRING DIRECTLY ARE REPLACED FOR YOUR $1000 OUT-OF-POCKET. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE NISSAN HAS NOT ADMITTED THERE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINAL FRONT SPRINGS...NO RECALL, NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, NO DISCOUNTED REPAIR COSTS, NOTHING. HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEW REPLACEMENT SPRING FROM NISSAN HAS BEEN REDESIGNED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY THICKER GAUGE OF SPRING AND COMES WITH A NEW SUPERSEDED PART NUMBER TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL SPRING PART NUMBER. I HAVE OWNED 5 NISSAN VEHICLES OVER THE PAST 3 DECADES AND THEY HAVE BEEN GOOD CARS OVERALL. I HAVE LOGGED OVER 500,000 MILES ON NISSANS IN TOTAL. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE SPRINGS (ON THE NON-MAXIMA NISSANS) I'VE OWNED HAS LASTED THE ENTIRE LIFE OF EACH VEHICLE. FOR A SPRING TO SNAP IN HALF WITHOUT WARNING AT 60,000 MILES IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS. NISSAN SHOULD BE COMPELLED TO ADDRESS THIS FRONT SPRING ISSUE FOR ALL MAXIMA OWNERS. TO ME THIS IS A BLACK EYE ON THE FACE OF AN OTHERWISE EXCELLENT AUTO MAKER. *TR